Leg and brace unit for easels



Ocf- 24, 1950 G. E. NICHOLS LEG AND BRACE UNIT FOR EASELS 3 Sheets-Sheetl Filedy Nov. 27, 1946.

Oct. 24, 1950 y G, E, N|CHOLS 2,526,765

J LEG AND BRACE UNIT FOR EASELS Filed Nov, 27, 194e s sheets-sheet' 2fic/y,-

Oct. 24, 1950 G. E. NlcHoLs LEG AND BRACE UNIT FOR EASELS Filed Nov. 271946 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IIIIIIIIIIA l lJZ* f-ordabl Patented Oct. 24, 1950LEG AND BRACE UNITFOR EASELS Gordon E. Nichols, Midaleboro, Mass.,assigno to WinthropfAtkins Co., Inc., Middleboro, Mass., a corporationof Massachusetts Application November 27, 1946, serial No. 712,663

g claims.' (o1. 24S-19st This invention pertains to foldable mounts oreasels for photographs, calendars, etc., and relates more especially toan improved leg and brace unit for a foldable mount or easel, thepresent invention concerning improvements in the device disclosed inLetters Patent No. 2,454,521.

The above application discloses an arrangement such that swinging .theleg to the operative position automatically-sets the brace, the partsreacting to produce a recognizable snap as they assume the operativeposition. The arrangement also permits ready disengagement of the bracefrom the leg preparatory to folding the easel, and the construction issuch that the leg and brace form integral parts of a single piece ofmaterial to which they are hinged. However, in the device of theaforesaid application, the part to which the leg and brace are hinged isdesigned to constitute the rear member or back of the mount, being ofsubstantially the same size and contour as the mount. The brace has `alongitudinally extending slot'for the reception of a locking elementcarried by the leg, :and the leg is necessarily of substantial width toaccommodate a brace wide enough to contain the longitudinal locking slotand at the same time to have the requisite rigidity. While theconstruction is highly desirable when lthe member of which the brace andleg form a part is the back board of the mount, it is often desirable tohave a leg` and brace unit which may be applied, to existing mounts orto mounts of a type of construction such that the rear member or backboard of the mount may not be integrall with the brace and leg. It isalso desirable, for economy in material, to reduce the externaldimensionsfof the leg and the attaching member to which it is hinged sofar as possible, and in particular when'the leg and brace unit are to beapplied to Aexisting mounts so that there is no need fora 4leg-attachingelement of large size.y i I One object of the invention is to provide aleg and brace unit such thatrtheparts have the same desirablecapabilities as those described in the above application, but sordevised:that the leg and brace, as a unit, may be applied to existing mounts. Afurther object is to provide a leg and brace unit which' may be made ofrelatively thin sheet material, but which is so devised as to providea.V reinforcement ,for the mount to which it is attached, and to affordample anchorage for fastener elements'whereby it is attached to themount. I A further object is to provide a leg and brace unit which maybe made from a piece of sheet material of substantially less superficialarea than that disclosed in the aforesaid application. A further objectis to provide a leg and brace unit which may be sold in folded conditionfor application to existing mounts and which may readily be applied tothe mounts without resort to special tools or instruments and withoutrequiring special skill, A further object is to provide a leg and braceunit of such construction and dimensions as to have a pleasingappearance when applied to the mount. Other and further objects andadvantages of the invention will be pointed out in the following moredetailed description land by refer@ ence to the drawings wherein f Fig.1 is a rearview of a mount provided with the leg and brace unit of thepresent invention as it appears when set up for use;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the leg and brace unit folded;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section, to large scale, on the line 3-3 of Fig.1, showing the brace in the operative position for holding the leg indivergent relation to the member of the mount back;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary large scale section substantially on the line4--4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a View of a blank preferably employed in making the leg andbrace unit;

Fig. 6 is a front View of the blank after folding but before itsapplication to the easel back;

Fig. 7 is a rear view of the parts shown in Fig. 6;

Y Fig. 8 is a top edge view of the parts as shown in Fig. 6 but tolarger scale;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary section illustrating :the type of materialpreferably employed making the leg and leasel unit;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary plan View, partly in section, showing theinterlocking elements of the leg and brace;

Fig. 11 is a plan AView generally similar to Fig. 5 but showing a blankof modified shape;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary section similar to Fig. 3 -but showing theconstruction resulting from'the use of the blank of Fig. 11; and

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary plan View showing the blank of Fig. 11 foldedto provide a two-ply reinforce element with the brace member lying intheplane of the front ply, and with the leg cut off (and in section) atthe hinge joint.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 4, the leg'and brace unit of the `present invention is shown in association with apicture mount which comprises the ornamental front board I (Fig. 4)which may be of cardboard or the like, having an ornamental surfacecovering 2, for example of paper, cloth or leather. This iront boarddefines the large sight opening 3 and is associated with the framemember 4, for example of cardboard, preferably covered on both sides, asshown at 5, with paper, textile fabric or the like, and which has acentral opening, preferably longer in dimensions than the sight opening3 and which is designed to receive the matte element 6. This matteelement 6 may be of cardboard, suitably covered or ornamented, or of anyother suitable stii Amaterial and denes the inner sight opening Kthrough which the picture is viewed. This matte element 6 is secured tothe back board 8, which also preferably consists of stili sheetmaterial, such as cardboard, covered at its rear side at least withornamental material such as paper, indicated at 9. covering overlaps therear surface of the frame member 4 at the top and sides and is securedto the latter, for example by means of adhesive, but leaving an entranceslot at Il) through which the picture may be pushed up between the backboard 8 and the frame member 4. While this is a desirable type of mount,it is to be understood that the present invention is not necessarily'limited to use with this mount but is applicable to mounts of otherkinds.

In accordance with the present invention, the leg and brace unit B (Fig.2) is made from a single piece of stiff sheet material. For example,this material may be cardboard II (Fig. 9)

preferably covered on opposite sides with paper I.

As illustrated (Figs. 5 and 7) the upright element I1 is substantiallywider than the upright element I 5 so that when the element I5 isprojected through the opening in the part 29 left by removal of theupright I1, there is substantial clearance between the lateral edges ofthe part 28 (the brace) and the edges of the aperture in the leg 29 sothat the brace 23 may pass freely through the opening in the leg 29without binding or wedging. The latter T-shaped member is dened by anincision I8 extending completely through the material and by hinge linesI9 which may be score lines in the material merely suicient to weaken itso that it may bend. The transverse elements I4 and IB of the'T-shapedmembers are arranged edge to edge an are joined at the hinge line 20.The hinge at this point may be formed by cutting through the material soas to leave merely one thickness of the covering, for example, thecovering sheet I2 (Fig. 9) intact, this sheet then forming the hingeatwhich the parts I4 and IB may be swung. The material of the blankbelow the hinge axis I9 and out side the area dened by the incision I8constitutes the leg of the device.

,The upright element I5 of the upper lshaped member which is inverted,vas shown in Fig. 5, is provided with a score line or other weakeningmeans at 2 I to form a hinge axis about which the free end portion ofthis upright may be bent.

than straight (for example, a curved or equivalent line as suggested inapplicants copending application, Serial No. 653,338, iiled March 9,1946, now issued as patent No. 2,454,521 dated November 23, 1948) inorder to accentuate the resilient tendency of the leg or brace to remainin the plane of the part to which it is hinged, the effective axes aboutwhich the brace and leg ,swing would nevertheless be `horizontal andparallel just as when the score lines at I9 and 20 are straight. Nearits free end the part I5 is provided with triangular locking notches 22and 23 at its .opposite edges defining an actuating tab 24. The portionof the upright element I5 which is beyond the hinge axis 2I constitutesa brace member 28. The maximum width of this tab 24 does not exceed thewidth of the body of the brace and is less than the width of the openingin the part 29 so that the tab may pass freely through the opening.

The lower end of the upright member I1 of the lower T-shaped member isshaped to provide a tongue 21 of substantially truncated triangularshape. At opposite sides of this tongue the incision IB extendsinwardly, forming, in the material of the leg, the locking ears or lugs25 and 26 which form the opposite sides of a ltruncated triangularrecess 21 resulting from the removal oi the tongue ,21. Each of theV-shaped notches 22 and 23 is defined at one side by a substantiallystraight, horizontal edge, these horizontal edges of the two notchesbeing in alignment. The space between the inner or proximate ends of thenotches constitutes a neck portion N which is of a width less than thedistance between the lugs 25 and 26 so that said neck portion N may bepassed between said lugs.

The blank, as shown in Fig. 5, may be shipped flat to the user, and thenbent by the user, prepaiatory to attaching it to the mount, or it may befolded, as hereinafter described, before shipment. To prepare the blankfor use, it is folded along the line 20 to bring the part I4 intoregistry with the 4part I6, as shown in Figs. 6 and "I, the contactingregistering parts I4 and I6 forming the upper part of what is hereafterreferred to as an anchorage, said anchorage thus comprising the frontply I6 and the rear ply I4. Before applying the leg and brace unit tothe back of the frame or easel, the lower part of the member I1 ispushed forwardly so as to lie at an angle to the plane of the leg member29, and the part I5 is likewise pushed forwardly and through theelongate aperture I1a (Fig. 3) left in the part 28 by pushing the partI1 forwardly. The part I1 is somewhat wider than the part I5 (Fig. 6) sothat the part I5 may readily be pushed through this aperture and broughtinto contact with the part I1, as shown in Fig. 3. Suitable fastenerelements, for example rivets 3D and 3I, are passed through the anchoragecomprising parts I4 and I6, and through the lower portions of the partsI5 and I1 into the back board 8, thus securely attaching the leg andbrace unit to the back board. After the parts have thus been attached,the leg may be swung down into substantial parallelism with the back S,with the lower end portionv ofthe brace member 28 overlying the rearsurface of the leg (Fig. 2). When the user desires to set up the easel,he merely seizes the lower end of the leg and swings it rearwardly. Thebrace member 28 slides through the lower part of the elongate aperture|18 of the leg, the lateral margins of the brace riding on the upperedges of the lugs `25 and 26 until the notches 22 and 23 register withthe opposed inner corners of the lugs or ears 25 and 26 which dene thenarrow entrance to the truncated triangular recess 21a at the lower endof the aperture I1.' The neck portion N of the free end of the bracethen snaps down between lugs 25 and 26 into the recess and the edges 32of the notches 22 and 23 engage the rear side of theleg, thus lockingthe brace and leg against movement in either direction. However, by mereupward pressure on the actuating tab 24, the edges 32 may be disengagedfrom the lugs 25 and 26, thus permitting the leg to move backwardly.toward parallel relation to the easel back. Itmay be noted that thehinge connection between the leg 29 an the part I6 is preferablysuchthat the leg resiliently resists movement out of .the plane' of thepart I6 so that it tends to resume-the folded position when the brace isreleased. The aperture in the leg is of such size and the spacing oftheaxes of the hinges of the brace and leg is such that after the parts I4and I6 have been placed in registry and permanently united, it ispossible to pass the free end of the brace through the aperture in theleg, for example if it be desired in shipping the device to dispose thebrace in vertical position forwardly ofthe folded leg.

Referring to Figs. 11 to 13, inclusive, a slightly modified constructionis illustrated. The material employed in accordance with thismodiflcation may be the same as that. previously suggested. In thisinstance the blank T (Fig. 11) comprises a T-shaped member .having thetransverse part 36 and the uprightpart 31, the latter being defined byan incision 38 which extends all of the way through the material, andwhich is so contoured near` the lower end of the part 31 as to providethe inwardly directed ears or lugs 50 which dene the side edges of arecess of truncated triangular shape when the part 31 is pushedforwardly out of the plane of the material, this recess having the shapeof the lower end 5| of the part 31.

The upper edge of the transverse element 36 of the T-shaped member isdefined by the incision S which extends transversely across the materialand through all of its constituent layers except one of the outer layerswhich remains intact to form a hinge joint. Above this incision line S,the blank comprises a portion 35 of generally rectangular shapeterminating at a transverse hinge line H which may be a line of weaknessformed by scoring, indenting, perforating or the like. Above this hingeline H the blank comprises a portion 48 having a curved upper edge andterminating in an' actuating tab 44 which joins the main part 4B at anarrow neck N defined by the opposed recesses 42 and 43. The part 48constitutes the brace element of the completed unit. The leg 49 isresiliently hinged along the line 39 to the lower edge of the transverseelement 3B of the T-shaped member. When the part 31 is pushed forwardlyout of the plane of the leg 49, it leaves a vertically elongate aperture31a (Figi "12%) having the aforesaid truncated triangular recess at itslower end. Prior to use, the part 35 is folded down along the 'incisionline S, as shown in Fig. 12, thus forming a two-ply construction inwhich the part 35 is designed to contact the back of the easel when theunit is assembled with the latter. When the parts have thus been folded,the T-shaped member. comprising the parts 36 and 31, lies in contactwith the front ply 35 and, together with the latter, provides a two-plyAanchorage for the reception of fasteners, such, for example, as rivets1i'.k (Fig. 13), whereby the unit is securely anchored to the easelback. When the easel is to be set up for use, the leg 49 is swungrearwardly and the tab 44 is passed through the elongate aperture 31a ata point above the lugs 50. The narrow neck N of the tab is caused topass Vdown between the lugs 5U, which define a narrow entrance to therecess at the lower part of the aperture 31a, and the shoulders Z,forming the rear boundaries of the recesses 42 and 43, contact the rearsurface of the leg, thus locking the parts in position. To fold theeasel, the tab 44 is lifted so as to disengage the neck N from therecess in the leg, and the brace is pushed rearwardly and then foldeddown into the plane 'of the part 35, the leg also being foldedV downuntil it lies substantially in the plane of the part 31. Obviously, sofar as the interlocking features of the leg and brace are concerned, theshapes and dimensions of the parts I5 and IE `to which thebrace and legareihinged is immaterial.

While certain desirable embodiments of the invention have beenillustrated by way of example, it is to be understood that the inventionis broadly inclusive of any and all modications falling within the scopeof the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A foldable leg and brace unit for attachment to an easel back, saidunit consisting of an integral sheet of cardboard folded transversely toprovide a two-ply anchorage, each ply including a T-shaped part having atransverse element and an upright element, the transverse elements ofsaidV T-shaped parts being in registry and in contact, a leg attached tothe lower edge of the transverse element of the said T-shaped part ofone ply, the leg having therein an aperture of the same size and contouras the upright element of the T-shaped part to which the leg is hinged,the upright of the T-shaped part of the second ply of said anchoragebeing of lesser transverse width than the aperture in the leg and havinga transverse hinge intermediate its ends, the portion of said latterupright below the hinge constituting a brace, the brace lying in theplane of said second ply when the unit is folded but being capable ofswinging about its hinge to engage its free end with the leg, the freeend portion of the brace having opposed notches and the leg havingspaced locking elements which seat in said notches when the leg andbrace are in operative position. Y

2. In combination in a device of the class described, a leg and braceunit for attachment tofan easel back, said unit consisting of a singlepiece of stili?, sheet material doubled along a transverse fold line andcomprising two T-shaped members disposed with their transverse elementshorizontal and in registry, the upright element of the first of saidT-shaped members being of greater width than that` of the secondT-shaped member, the upright of the second T-shaped member being longerthan that of the rst and having a transverse hinge joint intermediateits ends, that part of the upright of the second T- shaped member whichlies below the hinge joint constituting a brace, the brace being oflesser transverse width than the upright of the first T- shaped member,and a leg hinged to the lower end of the transverse element of the firsttransverse member, said leg having an aperture intermediate its lateraledges, the aperture being wider than the brace, the free end portion ofthe brace having opposed V-shaped notches, fone edge of each notch beingsubstantially straight and horizontal, said straight edges beingaligned, the proximate ends of the notches being paced apart to define aneck portion, said notches receiving portions of the leg when the legand brace are in operative position thereby to lock the leg and brace insaid position.

3. In combination in a foldable easel device, single piece of stiifsheet material folded to provide two registering parts, a leg hinged toone of said parts and a brace hinged to the other of said parts, the leghaving an unobstructed aperture midway between its ylateral edges, saidaperture being bounded at one end by a transverse edge having acentrally .located recess 'whose entrance is of a Width less than thatof the aperture proper, the brace'being of a width than that of theaperture proper so that it may pass through the aperture proper withoutcontacting the lateral edges of theaperture, thevf'ree end of the bracelhaving opposed-V,- shaped notches in its opposite edges respectively,the width of material of the brace intervening between the proximateends of the notches being less than that of the entrance of said recess,the braceV overlying the rear surface ofthe 'leg when the'easel deviceis folded, the vsize and locationof :le aperture relative to the hinge4axes of the hinge and brace being such as to permit the end of thebrace to be passed through the aperture so that the brace may bedisposed to overlie the rear surface of the folded leg, the lateral`edges of the brace riding upon those portions of the transverse edge ofthe aperture at opposite sides of the recess as the leg is swungrearwardly toward its operative position thereby automati-Ycally'swinging the brace to operative position in response to suchrearward swinging of the leg, the material between the inner ends of thenotches in the brace entering the recess as the leg and brace nearoperative position whereupon the rear edges of the notches in the braceengage the forward surface of the leg and hold the latter in position ofuse.

4. In combination in a foldable easel device of the class described, anintegral sheet of cardboard folded transversely to provide tworegistered plies disposed in face-to-face relation, a

leg hinged to one of said piles to swing about a f' horizontal axis, abrace hinged to the other ply to swing about an axis which, in effect,is horizontal and which is vertically spaced from the hinge axis of theleg, the leg having anunobstructed aperture midway between its lateraledges, the aperture being bounded at one end by a horizontal transverseedge having a. centrally located recess whose entrance is of a widthless than the width of the aperture proper, the brace also being of awidth less than the width of the aperture proper so that the brace maypass freely through the aperture without Acontacting the lateral edgesof the latter, the brace terminating in an actuating tab joined to thebrace proper by a relatively narrow neck intervening between opposednotches extending inwardly from opposite edges respectively of thebrace, the maximum width of the tab being less than the Width of theaperture proper, said neck being of a width less than that vof theentrance to said recess, the brace overlying the rear surface of the legwhen the easel device is folded, the aperture in the leg being of suchsize and so located relatively to the hinge axes of the leg and bracelthat the 'freefend of the brace maybe passed through the aperture inthe l'egafterthe cardboard sheet has been folded to place the two pliesin registry, the lateral edges of the brace riding upon those portionsof the transverse edge of the aperture at opposite sides of the recesswhen theleg is Vswung rearwardly toward its operative portion so thatmere movement of the leg toward operative position automatically setsthe brace in operative position, the neck portion of the brace enteringlthe recess in the transverse` edge of the aperture as the leg and bracenear operativev position whereupon the rear edges of the notches in thebrace engage the forward surface of the leg land lock the latter inposition `of use, the neck being disengageable from thev recess by ,merepressure of the finger upon said tab,

5; In combination .in a foldable easel device, two flat parallel Vplieseach comprising a piece of stiff, sheet material, means holding saidflat plies in assembled relation, a leg hinged to one of said pliesv anda brace hingedV to the other of said plies, the effective hinge axes ofthe leg and brace :being parallel, horizontal `andvertically spacedapart, the hinge connection between the leg and Aits supporting plybeing such that the leg may lie in the plane of its supporting ply, theleg having an unobstructed aperture midway between its lateral edgesthrough which the brace projects when the leg is folded, the braceterminating in an vactuating tab whose width does not exceed that of thebody of the brace, the tab being joined to the Abody 'of the brace lby arelatively narrow neck intervening between two notches, one transverse4edge of 'the aperture in the leg being shaped to provide a' recesswhose entrance is of a width suicient to pass the neck portion of thebrace, the aperture, adjacent to said recessed edge, being of a widthgreater than the width of the body of the brace whereby the brace may bepassed freely through the aperture Without contacting the lateral edgesof 'the latter, the recess having spaced locking edges operative toenterinto locking engagement with the respective notches in' thev brace'thereby to hold the brace and leg in operative position, the neckportion-of the brace being freely disengageable from the recess' by merepressure of the finger againstl the tab portion 'of the brace therebypermitting the leg to resume its normal position in the plane of itssupporting part, the aperture in the leg being of such lsize and solocated relatively to the hinge axes of the hinge and'brace that thefree end ofthe brace may be passed through the aperture in the-leg whilesaid united'flat plies are in the assembled relation of use.

GORDON E.NICHOLS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain of .1926

